LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought a report from the district coordination officer about detention of a butcher under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) on charges of delivering hate speeches and causing public disturbance.

Muhammad Shaukat Ali, a resident of Ghari Shahu, challenged the one-month detention of his son Adnan, a butcher by profession.

Petitioner’s counsel Irshad Chaudhry told the court that the DCO issued detention order of Adnan on June 9, 2015, along with many other butchers.

He said police arrested the petitioner’s son and sent him to Kot Lakhpat jail under section 16 of MPO. The counsel argued that Adnan was accused of selling unhygienic meat but the government detained him under a law normally used against political leaders.

He said the alleged unhygienic meat recovered from Adnan was not sent to laboratory for examination.

The counsel argued that the law invoked by the government was not applicable to butchers. He asked the court to declare the detention of the butcher illegal and order the government to immediately release him.

The court directed the DCO to submit a detailed report on the matter within four days.

INDUSTRIES SECRETARY: The Punjab secretary for industries told the Lahore High Court on Thursday that the department was strictly monitoring prices of food items in Ramazan bazaars and markets.

Appearing before the court in connection with hearing of a petition against inflated prices, Secretary Naseem Sadiq also submitted a detailed report and undertook that monitoring of the prices would continue during Ramazan.

The court adjourned hearing till July 24 and asked the petitioner’s counsel to go through the government’s report.

Advocate Azhar Siddique had filed the petition stating that the government failed to ensure a decrease in prices of food items after the significant decline in petrol price. He said with the beginning of Ramazan the traders started looting public and there was no authority to take action against them.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2015

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